Potato-assorter.



P. L. ROSE.

POTATO ASSORTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1913.

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POTATO ASSORTER.

APPLICATION mp2]: APR.15, 191s Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

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INVENTOR F L Z8086 A TTUHNEV FRANK L. ROSE, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

POTATO-ASSORTED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2'7, 1914.

Application filed April 15, 1913. Serial No. 761,225.

To all tohom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. Rose, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Assorters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in potato picking and assorting apparatus and comprises a simple and efficient device of this nature having various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view. Fig. 4. is a top plan view of an assorting table, Fig. 5 is a sectiona-l view on line 55 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Reference now being bad to the details of the drawings by numeral, 1 designates the frame of the apparatus having the forward axles 2 and rear axles 3. Rising from said frame are the standards 4: which support the beams 5 upon which a shaft 6 is journaled in suitable bearings and upon which shaft are mounted the two sprocket wheels 7, shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

A conveyer frame, designated by numeral 8, carries at its lower end a shaft 9, having bearings in the adjustable bearing block 10 against which an adjusting screw 11 is adapted to bear. Fixed to the shaft 9 are the sprocket wheels 12 and about the sprocket wheels upon the two shafts 6 and 9 the endless conveyer chain 13 travels, which chain has at intervals the laterally projecting fingers 14, shown clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and which project at right angles from the length of the chain. It will be noted that each of said fingers 14 has its upper end bent to form an outwardly extending hook 15 and upon the outer face of each finger is a shoulder 16.

Cross chains, designated by numeral 17, are adapted to engage fingers upon opposite Sides of the conveyer chain and the end link of each chain 17 is adapted to have a sliding movement limited by said hooks 15 and the shoulders 16.

The conveyer frame 8 is pivoted at its rear end upon the shaft 6 and its forward lower end is adjustable, being connected by means of cables 18 with the shaft 19 about wh ch they wind, said shaft 19 being journaled in bearings upon the frame 1. A worm wheel 20 is fixed to one end of the shaft 19 and is in mesh with a worm 21 upon the vertical shaft 22 to the upper end 0 which the wheel 23 is fastened and which latter is provided with a handle 24, forming convenient means for the operator, sitting upon the seat 25, to raise or lower the forward end of the conveyer frame. Said conveyer frame 8 has a trough-shaped bottom, designated by numeral 26, the forward end of which serves as a scoop and into which the potatoes are pushed by the series .of chains 17.

A sprocket wheel 27 is fixed to the shaft 6 and asses about a sprocket wheel 28, shown in ig. 1 of the drawings, and which is fastened to the axle 3 and afi'ords means for driving the conveyer chains.

U on reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it Wlll be noted that the bottom of the conveyer frame is ,provided with elongated slots 29 through which dirt is allowed to fall as the potatoes are being raised up by the conveyer chain. The upper end of the trough forming the bottom of the conveyer frame is designated by numeral 30 and is downwardly curved as shown in Fig. 1 and extends over the ed e of the assorting table 31, details of whic latter are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The assorting table 31 is provided with pivotal lugs 32 projecting from the opposite edges thereof near its front end which lugs have pivotally connected thereto the links 33 which in turn, at their upper ends, are pivotally mounted upon the pins 35 supported by the beams 5.

A bag-holding platform, designated by numeral 36, is fastened to the rear end of the truck upon which the bag 37 to receive the potatoes is held with the downwardly slight play in projecting exit end 38 of the assorting table extending to a location above the bag where the potatoes may be guided therein as they are assorted.

Fixed to a shaft 40 which is journaled in bearings 41 upon the opposite beams 5 are the cams 46 and about each cam is a strap 47 and to each strap a rod 48 is fastened, one end of which is apertured and is pivotally connected to-the pins 32- which project from the opposite side of the assorting table. The means for rotating the cams consist of the belt 6 1 which passes about a pulley upon the shaft 6 and also a pulley 66 upon the shaft 40.

Upon reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that said assort-' ing table has a rack made up of the strips 49, spaced apart and provided for the purpose of allowing the smaller potatoes to fall therethrough upon the bottom of the table and be directed by the inclined ridges 50 into the exit opening 38, while the larger potatoes, which will not pass intermediate the strips 49, are guided by the inclined ridge 51 into the openings 52. The said table has hooks 53 fastened to the opposite sides thereof and to each hook is fastened a chain 54; which winds about the shaft 55 which is journaled in bearings 56 upon the opposite beams 5. A hand wheel 57 is fixed to the shaft 55 and also a ratchet wheel 58 is keyed to the shaft 55. A pawl 59 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 60 and is provided with an arm 61 which is fastened, through the medium of the links 62, with the operating lever 63, said lever 63 being pivotally mounted upon one of the beams 5..

The operation of my invention will be readily understood and is as follows: The conveyer frame is adjusted so that the lower scoop end of the frame thereof will scoop up the earth and the potatoes as the apparatus is moved forward, motion being imparted to the conveyer chain by the driving axle of the apparatus. As the several cross chains 17 come in contact with the earth and the potatoes, the latter will be drawn up into the slotted bottom of the conveyer frame, the dirt falling through .the longitudinal spaces formed in the bottomthereof. By the provision of the peculiar mounting of the chain 17, it will be noted that the end links have a the spaces intermediate the hooks15 and the shoulders 16, thus, automatically adjusting themselves to potatoes of different sizes, and thereby avoiding the cutting of the potatoes in the event of the chains coming in contact first with small potatoes and then those of larger sizes.

As the potatoes reach the upper end of the conveyer frame,

conveyer frame, they will fall down the curved bottom which extends over the rear end of the assorting table and falling upon the strips 4:9, the smaller potatoes willl readily pass through between the strips and, falling upon the bottom of the table, will roll down the incline and through the central opening 38, while the larger otatoes rolling off the ends of the strips wil be diverted by the ridges 51 whichthey are allowed to pass into the bags which are placed beneath for their reception.

In order to allow the potatoes to readily assort, a vibratory movement is imparted to the assorting table through the medium of the cam members which are rotated by the belted connection with the driving shaft 6. Through the medium of the hand wheel 57, the free end of the assorting table may be raised or lowered as may be desired and held in adjusted position by means of the ratchet toward the holes 52 through 7 and pawl, while the forward end of the conveyer-frame may be raised and lowered by the manipulation of the hand wheel 23.

What I claim to be new is 2-- 1. An apparatus for picking up and assorting potatoes comprising a truck, a conveyer frame pivotally mounted thereon and having a slotted bottom with a scoopshaped lower end, an endless conveyer having transverse chains, the end links of which have sliding pivotal connections with projecthe conveyer and adapted to elevate the potatoes up the inclined bottom of the conveyer frame, and an assorting table upon which the potatoes are delivered from the conveyer, as set forth.

p 2. An apparatus for picking up and assorting potatoes comprising a truck, a conveyer frame pivotally mounted thereon and having a slotted bottom with a scoop-shaped tions upon lower end, an endless conveyer having transverse chains, the end links of which have connections with pro ections.

sliding pivot-a1 upon the conveyer and adapted to elevate the potatoes up the inclined bottom of the whichthe potatoes are delivered from the conveyer, and means for adjusting said.conveyer frame,.as set forth. i

3. An apparatus for picking up and assorting potatoes comprising a truck, a conveyer frame pivotally mounted thereon and having a slotted bottom with a scoop-shaped an assorting table upon i lower end, and endless conveyer having.

tranverse chains, the end links of which have sliding pivotal connections with projections upon the, conveyer and adaptedto elevate the potatoes up the inclined bottom of the conveyer frame, an assorting table upon which the the conveyer, a winding shaft upon the truck, means for rotating said shaft, and cable connections between the winding shaft and lower end of the conveyer frame, as set forth.

4. An apparatus for picking up and assorting potatoes comprislng a truck, a conpotatoes are delivered from 1 upon said conveyer terminating in outveyer frame pivotally mounted thereon and curved ends and shoulders, and means for 10 having a slotted bottom with a scoop-shaped driving the conveyer, as set forth.

lower end, an endless conveyer mounted In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my upon said frame, laterally projecting fingers signature in presence of two Witnesses. v wardly curved ends, a shoulder upon the FRANK ROSE outer face of each finger, cross chains, the Witnesses: end links of which engage said fingers and ROLLA E. DUNCAN, are limited in their movements by said ARTHUR J. HENDRICKS. 

